No Need for Xander
by Shadow Master
Summary: Tenchi MuyoBtVSIt's a wonderful day in Osaka when Xander arrives looking for one of the many newly awakened Slayers still unaware of the changes in their destiny. He had thought it would be just another routine assignment but BOY was he in for a surprise.
1. Chapter 1

"No Need for Xander" By Shadow Master aka Ryley Breen

email : : This is to make it clear to all who read this fanfic that I in no way own the characters, plots or elements associated with the TV show 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' or the Anime 'Tenchi Muyo' or any spin-offs of either. They are entirely the property of their respective creators and/or companies. I am not making a single penny of profit from this fanfic but rather I am writing this because I enjoy writing and because there are readers out there who enjoy reading the fanfics I produce. As such I would greatly appreciate it if you could refrain from engaging in any lawsuits of any kind as I doubt anything you got from me would be enough to cover the legal costs of the proceedings much less anything else.

Note : This takes place after the series finale, about two years worth I'd say, in the BtVS timeline. In the Tenchi timeline it would take place after the battle with Kagato but before the battle with Dr. Clay. Keep in mind that I will be taking elements from Tenchi Universe, Tenchi Muyo OAV and Tenchi Muyo GXP and using them in this fanfic so don't get too confused if there is one element from Tenchi Universe one second and then an element from Tenchi Muyo GXP the next.

Challenge : This is a challenge to all fanfic writers out there who take the time to read this fanfic. I dare you to try and write a Tenchi Muyo/BtVS fanfic of your own that can be anything from a drabble to a full length feature fan fiction. It doesn't necessarily have to center on any one character and utilizing the entire Scooby gang is permissible. I just would like to see more Tenchi Muyo/BtVS fanfics out there. Keep in mind though that there IS NO PRIZE if you choose to answer this challenge so don't email me after posting your Tenchi/BtVS fanfic asking when you can expect your prize in the mail. I am not saying this to be mean or anything it is simply that I do not have the money to be sending people prizes or anything. ANYway let's get this show on the road shall we?

No Need for Xander

_Well this is going to be interesting!_ Xander thought sarcastically as he got off the bus in Osaka, Japan.

Of course for him, especially during the last year and a half, interesting had less to do with fun and more to do with that old Chinese curse 'may you live in interesting times'. At least that was the case from his point of view but of course the rest of the gang had the completely opposite point of view. Ever since the search for the newly awakened Slayers around the world had begun he had been racking up the best 'find & recruit' record of the entire core group of the new Slayer and Watcher Council. At last count his success record was easily three times that of any of the others including Willow. Quite impressive considering how powerful magic-wise and that she seemed to have some kind of connection to the newbie Slayers through the scythe. Unfortunately this turned out to be both a blessing and a curse as far as he was concerned since it prompted both Giles and Buffy, the joint heads of the Council, to send him on the more difficult missions. Those missions of course were difficult because of certain environmental and magical obstacles that made it difficult to get a precise location of the new Slayer. Oh they could narrow it down to a region or sometimes a town/city but no closer than that. That was where his 'good luck' came in according to the G-Man. It was the elder Watcher's theory that it was his participation in the union spell used to defeat ADAM along with his inexplicable tendency to gravitate towards unusual women that produced this good luck in finding newborn Slayers. As far as he was concerned though he would rather have the old Harris luck rather than this new good luck.

_After all it might help me find the new Slayers but it also puts me in some of the most life threatening situations imaginable._ He thought as he strolled over to a map of Osaka that was mounted on the wall of the bus station, _True I'm still in one piece but definitely not for lack of trying by the forces of evil._

One example was the trip he had taken to the jungles of South America where according to Willow a Slayer had popped up on her Slaydar. When she had come to give him the assignment he had tried to pass the job along to Robin Wood or even Vi, one of the Slayers awoken in Sunnydale, but she had shot down his reasons one after another. Robin had been on vacation with Faith and Vi had been busy teaching her weapons orientation class. Before he could supply any other 'superior' candidates for the job she had locked in the **resolve** face and topped it off with the veiled threat of telling Buffy about his little white lie during the whole Acathla mess. He had been shocked and more than a little angry that his best friend would resort to such methods just to get him to go on a mission but according to her it wouldn't mean much so long after the event in question. Given that Buffy and Angel were no longer an item and had moved on from whatever romantic feelings they had once had for one another, a definite improvement in his opinion, Willow believed that while the blonde Slayer might be pissed for awhile it wouldn't last long and then everything would be back to normal. Still, given the choice between having an angry Slayer chasing him around the house and accepting the mission, he decided going to South America was the safer option. No sense testing Willow's theory about Buffy's reaction to the truth if he didn't have to as far as he was concerned.

So a week later, after much preparation and a half-assed attempt to learn the languages he would need to know, he had arrived at the city closest to the new Slayer's mystic 'signal' and began his search. He had started by asking around about any unusual occurrences or reports of super strong women being sighted in the jungle or around the city. In that first week alone he had managed to scrounge up ten separate leads from credible (meaning well paid) sources. The first five turned out merely to be extremely skilled gang members all of which came onto him thinking he was a 'wealthy American' with three of them attempting to kill him when he tried to politely decline their 'advances'. The next three he found out were demon women who had simply been mistaken for humans due to the obscure nature of their demon heritage. One of them had, much to his misfortune, had apparently been a relative of the preying mantis demon Ms. French but thankfully he had managed to get away before she/it found out that he belonged to the group that killed her cousin/broodmate. It had only been the last two sightings/leads that had led him to the young woman he had been looking for in the first place. Apparently the newbie Slayer and her sister frequently patrolled the jungle at the edge of town and occasionally shopped at a small pharmacy for the essentials such as clean water and medicine. Aside from that they pretty much stayed in the jungle with their family minding their own business.

Once the introductions had been dealt with he had gone into the usual summary of what the young woman, Camila, now was and what it meant he told the entire family about the Slayer school and what the newborn Slayer could learn there if she wanted to go. He had been grilled hard by both parents and even the little sister seemed determined to get a firm grasp of what their family member would be getting into but eventually his honesty won them over and they had all agreed to let Camila go with him. After a quick stop to get her the necessary travel documents, along with the extermination of a pack of boar-like demons that they had stumbled upon while the creatures were on the hunt, they were airborne and back to England where the main HQ of the new council was located.

Of course that had been one of the **easier** adventures he had been on with others usually dropping him in the hospital for a time. Not because he had gotten his butt kicked by a demon so much as his White Knight complex causing him to jump into harms way to protect the Slayer he had been sent to retrieve. Despite the injuries the others still praised him for his luck regarding Slayer locating and still sent him on the harder missions that others couldn't or wouldn't be able to handle for one reason or another.

That brought him to where he was right now in Osaka looking for the latest newly detected Slayer. According to Willow the interference was worse than usual so the young woman he was looking for was estimated to be within a two and a half to a five mile radius of Osaka which meant a lot of ground to cover.

_First things first though I have to find a room at a hotel and settle in._ he thought to himself as he walk deeper into the city.

Taking a booklet from his backpack he flipped through to the section on 'hotels for tourists on a budget' something that he looked at like clockwork every time he arrived in a foreign country. While it was true that the new Council was gradually reaching the level of financial well being that the old one had possessed pre-First all field Watchers and Slayer hunters were on a tight budget. This was especially important for the core members like the survivors of Sunnydale who were expected to set a proper example of how to do things to the new recruits. Faith once made the mistake of staying at a luxury hotel with all the trimmings and got chewed out Ripper style the moment she got back. Needless to say even the wild brunette Slayer had been intimidated enough by Giles' explosion of words to step back into line and follow the rules he set down. Flipping through the pages he eventually decided that the New Osaka Hotel in the southern area was just about right and shouldn't upset Giles too much when the bill came in. Not that he had given the elder Watcher reason to get as excited as he did with some of the others but the G-Man was under a lot of pressure since he was stuck doing most of the paperwork.

_At least G can count on me not to weigh down the expense account with shopping sprees and new wardrobes like some blonde Slayers I could mention._ Xander thought as he used his rudimentary knowledge of Japanese to read the street signs, _Just give me enough money for Twinkies and gas and I am good to go._

Walking along he could easily see people looking at him every now and then and muttering 'gaijin' every once and awhile but he wasn't too bothered by it. After all if he saw someone from a country than dropped a nuke on my homeland strolling down his city streets he'd be tempted to send a few choice words in their direction as well. Still he made sure not to make eye contact and picked up the pace a little just in case some of them felt like they wanted to deliver some long overdue payback.

It was about twenty minutes later that he saw the first sign that the ol' Harris luck had decided to make a comeback and attempt to kick the 'good' luck he'd been experiencing off its throne. Not one block away he saw a hunched over figure approaching a young woman in a green and blue kimono in what the guy probably through was a stealthy manner. He smirked at the incompetence of the guy since it was clear he was a pickpocket or thief of some kind looking to rob the woman blind. No matter where he went or what part of the world he was in these guys all acted the same and made the exact same mistakes. Deciding he should probably do something he scoped out the area for what would be the crooks most likely escape route. After all once he grabbed the woman's purse or whatever the equivalent was in Japan she would of course scream centering everyone's attention on herself and the crook in question. The stupid ones would of course run right down the street never thinking to get out of sight quick but this one looked to be of the smarter variety. It took him a few seconds but eventually he spotted an alleyway a little ways ahead of where the crook planned to make his move. The plan probably was to grab the purse and then head down that way in order to lose all pursuit in the maze of pathways between buildings. There was probably a safe house nearby where the thief would duck inside and hide until the heat died down enough for him to come out into the open. With this location in mind he moved to set up a little surprise for the thief in question. Making it look like he was jogging to catch up to a person ahead of him he waited until the crook looked away before slipping into the alley in question.

_Now what can I use to keep him from getting away?_ Xander asked himself as he took a quick glance at the alleyway's contents.

Predictably it was filled with mostly garbage but thankfully he managed to find a metal baseball bat that was apparently being tossed out because of a rather large dent near the top. Fortunately he wasn't intending to play ball with it and it was heavy enough that if he used it properly should KO the thief in one hit. With his weapon of choice in hand and a plan in his mind he just waited for the crook to make his move and try to escape.

"Five…four…three…two…" Xander said as he counted down the seconds to when he figured the thief would make his move.

"AAAHHHHH! THIEF! STOP HIM! HE TOOK MY PURSE!" came a loud and royal sounding woman's scream that he presumed came from the robber's victim.

Right on time the crook came around the corner and came to a halt when he spotted Xander standing there with the bat in hand.

"Get outta my way meatbag!" growled the thief both figuratively and literally much to Xander's surprise.

Now that he had a closer look at the guy he could see the features that before had been hidden by the hood the thief had over his head. Bone ridges above the eyes, thin slits for eyes and very sharp looking teeth were the first things he spotted before adding the barely perceivable scales. Obviously the guy wasn't human but for the life of him the Zeppo couldn't pin down what breed of demon the guy was which put him in a tight spot. After over nine years of fighting demons he knew all too well how important it was to have the right tool for the right job and without knowing what would kill this thing it was anyone's guess who'd win. Shoving his fears aside he decided to go with the 'hit them until they stay down' method since he figured he was pretty much committed to stopping the guy now.

"Not going to happen bonehead." He said with determination as he grasped the baseball bat with both hands, "Now how about you hand over the purse you just stole and maybe I'll just knock you senseless rather than pound you into paste."

Predictably the demon chose option three, a favorite among evil numbskulls, which was charge your enemy head on and rip them to pieces. In most instances this would end in the victim being killed because of their lack of experience with the demonic and/or supernatural. For him however it just meant that this was going to be more troublesome for him than he had originally planned. Waiting for the idiot to make the first move he skillfully predicted which direction it would come from thanks to years of experience and dodged it. Delivering an overhead vertical swing he brought the metal bat down on the demon's attack arm slamming it into the elbow joint. Standard tactic number one: when you don't know what type of demon your facing breaking bones is always a good thing. The satisfying crack he heard was exactly what he hoped to hear and the accompanying scream of pain was a nice accompaniment to it as well. When he looked at the bat though he quickly kept himself from getting too cocky about that one damaging blow. Right where the bat had connected with the demon was a sizeable dent that he predicted could take one more swing before the thing would snap in two. Meaning either the demon was made of tougher stuff than he thought or the bat was defective and that was why it was in the trash.

_Knowing my luck it's probably both which means I either need to end this quick or get ready for feel the pain._ He thought as the arm he hit hung limply at the demon's side, _Well here goes nothing!_

"I think its time you took a nap scale-face!" Xander said as he charged with the full intention of matching the dent that would be in the bat with a dent in the demon's skull.

Unfortunately at that moment Murphy decided Xander needed to be reminded of the little amendment or footnote attached to standard tactic number one. That fine print states that when confronted by a demon-type you can't identify you should never attack it head on as it may have a few surprises under its belt. That fact was painfully brought to Xander's attention rather painfully given that at the same time his bat made contact with the demon's head the creature slammed its suddenly spiked knuckles into Xander's gut. Bad luck was had by both of them though as the Zeppo's bat managed to hit the part of the demon's skull that was weakest resulting in the bone shattering with fragments tearing through its brain. The only child of Jessica and Tony Harris (thank the Lord for small favors) however fared a little better but not by much as the punch both knocked the wind out of him and pierced his skin where the knuckle spikes hit him. The holes weren't deep as half the strength of the blow was cut off upon the demon's demise but it was still enough to cause him some pain and draw blood. Dropping the bat he pressed on hand onto the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding and hobbled over to the demon to retrieve the purse. Not that returning a woman's purse would be all that important to most people if they had the type of gut wound he did but the same White Knight complex that drove him to stop the thieving demon also told him he had to finish what he started.

_One of these days I should really try and kill that complex of mine!_ He thought with a wince of pain as he bent over and retrieved the purse from the demon's pocket, _It's gonna get me killed I just know it!_

He got about as far as the entrance to the alleyway before the victim of the purse snatching showed up probably with the idea in her head that she was going to chase the thief down herself. Now that he was in a position to get a better look at her he had to wonder if he had by some fluke of bad luck stumbled into some kind of demon war. With purplish-violet hair and plumb colored eyes she was either a female demon or a human making a rather bold fashion statement. Still she didn't look dangerous aside from that furious gleam in her eye but that could easily be explained as either righteous indignation or that time of the month. Of course when she spotted him coming out of the alley holding her purse she came to a complete stop with a look of confusion and questions in her eyes. Deciding he didn't want to be the victim of someone jumping to conclusions he held out her purse for her to reclaim.

"I believe this belongs to you." He said trying to keep the pain from his wounds out of his voice.

"Why yes it is. How did you get it and where is that thief who stole it from me?" the weird woman asked him with a strange look in her eyes.

"I managed to snatch it from him while he was trying to make his getaway down the alley." He replied as he began to feel a little light headed, "Unfortunately he seemed to think it was a good idea to use his head for a battering ram and cracked his skull open on a brick wall. Personally I think you shouldn't bother seeing for yourself. It's most definitely 'eww' worthy as a friend of mine would say."

The woman turned a distinct shade of green at the image his description planted in her head but fortunately she regained control of herself and her skin returned to its normal healthy shade.

"Well thank you for retrieving my purse from that crook. Is there—" she said before her eyes widened and a shocked gasp escaped her lips, "You're bleeding! Are you alright?"

_Damn! Must be bleeding pretty bad for it to soak through my shirt already._ He thought before replying, "Yeah, no problem. It looks a lot worse than it really is so don't worry. I have a first aid kit in my backpack and as soon as I find a safe spot I'll bandage it up."

"Are you certain? I could take you to a hospital." She offered not even bothering to consider his lame reassurances, "It is close by I believe."

"No it's alright, really! I've had worse scrapes than this and been back at work the next morning." He replied being entirely truthful considering the damage he had taken in the past demon hunting, "Besides this has probably been a pretty traumatic experience for you. You should go home and try to sleep it off. Have a good day!"

With that he turned and did his best to walk away in a normal 'I am perfectly okay' manner even though the dizziness was increasing. In fact it had increased so much he was beginning to wonder whether or not there had been some kind of poison or toxin on those spikes ol' scale face had on his knuckles. If that was the case he could be a lot worse off than he thought and could drop dead any second now. All the more reason in his humble opinion to get out of sight since the sight of her 'hero' dropping dead right in front of her would only make the purple haired lady's day ever more traumatic. By step number eight though he knew that his once steady walking was beginning to wobble a bit and by step number fourteen he probably looked like his dad on the way back from a bar. When the number of steps he had taken reached twenty he could no longer manage coherent thought but as the sidewalk rushed up to meet him it probably would have been the following:

'Damn it! Not again!'

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Osaka Central Hospital, Twenty-four Hours Later 

Consciousness came back slowly for him, a sound here and a bit of tactile sensation there, but eventually everything came back to normal levels.

_Okay time to figure out just what sort of situation I've gotten myself into this time and whether or not I can get myself out of it in one piece._ He thought to himself as he organized what his body was telling him.

The first and most obvious was the slight feeling of pleasant numbness that seemed to envelop his entire body. That meant painkillers of some kind but only in sufficient quantities to make him comfortable rather than the amounts used on people with permanent injuries. Next was a feeling of tightness around his stomach which remained pretty much constant no matter what and that told him that that area was bandaged up pretty tight with perhaps stitches being present as well. Apparently the knuckle spikes on that demon did far more damage than he thought if all this was necessary. From there came the detection of being in a hospital bed complete with itchy sheets along with a sensation that could only indicate he was wearing one of those ridiculous gowns that leave the back open.

_A pervert. Those things had to've been invented by a pervert._ He thought to himself as the antiseptic smell of a place of medicine registered with his nose, _Why else would it be designed to show off a person's ass like that?_

Opening his eyes he found that just like his senses had told him he was in a hospital room, in a bed and once he looked down at his chest he confirmed that he was wearing one of those damn backless gowns. A quick review of his memories gave him a pretty good idea of how he got there which made him mentally groan and the questions that would likely be sent his way either by the woman he had helped or the local police. The police wouldn't be too much of a problem since a few phone calls to G-Man and he'd use the Council's connections in local law enforcement to get the 'incident' swept under the rug. The woman on the other hand, depending on how nosy she was, could be a little more difficult since she'd probably want details. If she had the 'busybody' gene he'd be in real trouble because those types don't stop until they have a full detailed confession handed to them in triplicate. While it was Russian Roulette as to whether or not you'd bump into one of those sort of women he really hoped the violet haired woman was one of the 'here is a gift certificate for an expensive restaurant, see ya' types. Both because it would probably make up for the hospital bill he'd be sending Giles and it would provide him a way to impress the newborn Slayer. After all dinner at an expensive restaurant would make her think that the Council was relatively well off rather than in the process of rebuilding, right?

Just then the door to his room opened and Xander figured it was either a nurse on her rounds or maybe whatever doctor was assigned to his case. Hopefully he'd be able to dodge any dangerous questions until he could get a call to G-Man since once that was done both the docs and cops would essentially be told to mind their own business. Unfortunately the person who came through the door was NOT who he had expected to be the first in line to visit him and happened to be someone the Council had absolutely no control over whatsoever. Much to his disappointment it was the woman that he had helped out with the thieving demon and she wasn't alone. Following her and over a foot shorter was a younger newly teened girl with long light blue hair done up in pigtails on either side of her head. Apparently she was following the older woman's example in the fashion department but that wasn't too surprising if he was right and they were sisters.

"Oh good! You're awake." The purple haired woman said as she walked over to a chair positioned near his bed, "I was beginning to get a bit worried when you didn't wake up when the doctors said you would."

_Uh oh! This sounds less like the inquisitive busybody and more like the beginnings of a crush/infatuation._ Xander thought to himself as his mind flashed back to other conversations that started out just like this.

"Yeah I guess my body liked sleeping so much it decided to sleep in a bit." He said with his usual lopsided grin.

The woman seemed to find his response amusing as did her little sister and so both of them let out a chuckle or two. The little girl's was just what one would expect for someone her age but her older sister's laugh was one of those irritating nobility laughs that sounded like nails on a chalkboard to him. Nevertheless he did his best not to cringe or give any sign that it was affecting him so he wouldn't offend her.

"Yes well I am just glad that you are alright." She said as she sat down in the chair, "After all you did risk your life to retrieve my purse."

"I just did what any decent guy would have done." He said trying to make it look like he didn't do anything impressive.

"Nevertheless you did help me. Thank you." She said with a half bow.

Remembering that in Japan is was custom to return bows he began to do one himself but a shot of pain cutting through the painkilling fuzz stopped him in his tracks. Wincing in pain he quickly went back to the position he had been in before while reflexively bringing a hand to the source of the pain.

"Oh! Are you alright?" asked the little sister with significant concern.

"Ow! Yeah I'm fine Miss—" Xander replied before realizing that he didn't know either of their names.

"I'm Sasami and this is my older sister Ayeka." Sasami said introducing herself as well as her sister.

"Happy to meet you Sasami, Ayeka." He said deciding that a nod for each of them would have to do instead of a traditional Japanese bow, "My name's Xander."

"Pleased to meet you." Ayeka said mimicking his simple nod.

"So what are you doing in Osaka Xander?" Sasami asked with the curiosity of youth.

_Leave it to the younger one to ask **that** question!_ He thought as he quickly tried to find the correct way to phrase his response, _If Ayeka had asked I could feel perfectly fine lying through my teeth but I just can't lie to kids that remind me of a young Dawn._

"Well… I'm on assignment for my boss investigating myths and legends from around the world to find out which ones might be true and which are just campfire stories." Xander replied deciding to go with the 'half-lie-half-truth' approach, "I just got into Osaka this morning and was on my way to get a room at a hotel when I noticed the thief getting ready to rob your sister and well you know the rest."

"Wow! You investigate myths!" Sasami exclaimed excitedly, "Have you found any ones that are real?"

_Think, think, think._ Xander thought before answering, "Well you know how they say that there's a monster living in Loch Ness in Scotland? Not real. The place just has an odd smell to it that causes certain people to **think** they see something in the lake."

Of course he was only being half truthful about Loch Ness since there actually was something living in the lake but it wasn't a thought to be extinct dinosaur or anything. It was actually a colony of water nymphs that had moved into the area over two millennia ago and made their home at the absolute bottom of the lake. The image of a monster was only a glamour that the nymphs put on themselves whenever they have to travel close to the surface. It is one of their many precautionary measures to keep their existence a secret and has been quite effective. Also apparently the Council has a treaty with them stating that should mankind ever get close to discovering them all local Watchers are instructed to do what they can to sabotage the search. He of course kept as far away from them as possible though since the combination of the legends about nymphs and his own track record with non-human females made for a bad combination. Fortunately the others thought so as well so on the list of people cleared to meet with the colony representatives he was placed at the absolute bottom with a special footnote stating that he was only to be given the job if it was an absolute emergency.

Wow!" Sasami said in amazement at that little tidbit of information.

"Indeed. What myth are you investigating here? If I may ask?" Ayeka inquired politely.

_Oh great! The young one distracts me and the big sister delivers the knockout punch!_ He thought chastising himself for thinking he was in the clear before replying, "Well you know how in various places all over the world there are stories about brave warrior women fighting monsters and proving themselves the equal of any man? Well I've specifically been assigned to go from country to country to investigate those sort of myths and Japan just happened to be next on my list. I'm going to have to take some time off though until this heals now though. Can't exactly go trekking around the woods like this or I'll probably pop some stitches."

"Yes the doctor did say that you'd need to remain off your feet for quite awhile." Ayeka said conversationally although there was an odd look in her eyes that he couldn't identify, "I imagine that it will cause you quite a delay in your work."

"Probably but I'm sure Mr. Giles will understand once I explain things to him." Xander said as he tried to make it sound like the delay would be a minor inconvenience at best, "After all the myths aren't going anywhere and as long as the report I send in is complete it shouldn't be a problem."

"Nevertheless I have caused you an inconvenience by causing you to stop that robber on my behalf." Ayeka said in what sounded like a formal declaration, "Therefore I will make arrangements for you to stay with myself and some friends until you recover enough to resume your work. It is the least I can do considering the circumstances."

This caused both him and Sasami to stare with surprise on their faces at Ayeka as he most certainly hadn't seen that coming and he doubted little sister did either. It also made him a little worried about the possible hidden meanings behind her words as his earlier concerns about a potential crush or infatuation resurfaced.

"I appreciate the offer Miss Ayeka but that really isn't necessary. My employer can easily cover a hotel room and I'd hate to be a bother to you and your friends." Xander said in an attempt to politely decline her offer of a place to stay.

"Oh nonsense! I'm sure Tenchi and the others would love to hear stories of all the places you've been." Ayeka said as though it was the most natural thing in the world to offer a stranger a place in your home, "Besides which we have a qualified doctor living with us and just loves meeting new people."

_How the hell do I get out of this NOW?_ He thought as the mounting bits of generosity continued to lean in favour of Ayeka.

After all while it was perfectly possible that she was genuinely just trying to be helpful and generous it was also possible that she was a demon of some kind that had selected him to be her next sacrifice. Experience had taught him well that a pretty face and good manners did not exclude a person from being evil incarnate. Mayor Wilkens was according to the normal people who met him a cheerful kind man whose only flaw was being a bit obsessive about cleanliness. Of course the fact that he was a century old warlock with plans of turning into a giant demon snake and eating everyone in sight never quite made it into his campaign speech. With Ayeka though there was nothing readily obvious about her either in what she said or did that might hint at her being evil aside from her eyes and hair. All in all he simply knew too little about this young woman to drop her in either the good box or the evil box and thus had no rational way to decline her offer.

_Looks like I'm stuck then._ He thought as he finally said "Well you talked me into it Ayeka. Just give me some time to contact my employer and I'll be ready to go."

"Good that will give me and the others time to get things ready at home." Ayeka said immediately dialling back the 'it is nothing to have you live with us' charm, "Here is the number where I can be reached. As soon as the doctor informs you when it is safe for you to be moved please give us a call."

Handing over a slip of paper with the phone number Ayeka got to her feet and after a quick word to Sasami the two of them left the room.

"What the **hell** have I gotten myself into this time?" he muttered to himself as he pressed the call button by his bed to summon a nurse and maybe a phone.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

_**Out in the Hallway, Five Minutes Later, Osaka Central Hospital**_

"Ayeka! What are you up to now?" Sasami asked as she tried to figure out why her older sister, first princess of the planet Jurai's royal family.

"Shhhh!" Ayeka replied before pulling her younger sister off to the side of the hall, "I know it was a bit odd for me to invite Xander to stay with us but I assure you I have a very good reason for doing so."

Ayeka waited to see if this reply would be enough to satisfy her sister's curiosity but when it was clear that the green haired young woman wanted details the first princess of Jurai sighed and gave in.

"It has been something of a concern of mine ever since we became stranded here on Earth that we might attract the attention of one of the planet's governments." Ayeka explained while looking up every once and awhile to see if anyone was paying them unnatural amounts of attention, "With the incident at the hot springs, the battle with Kagato and Mihoshi's less than graceful landing a few weeks ago I am certain that someone must have noticed something odd was going near the Masaki shrine."

"You think Xander's a spy!" Sasami said in surprise as she found it difficult to match the concept of government spy with the cute guy she had just met.

"Please Sasami! You are causing quite a commotion." Ayeka said fearfully as she looked quickly around the room to see whose attention her younger sister's outburst had attracted, "No I personally do not think that Xander is a spy but we must be careful. We have already come dangerously close to violating several Galactic Laws and cannot afford to let our presence become a matter of federal record. Therefore I thought it prudent to keep Xander someplace where we can keep an eye on him for a short time. If he is as he claims then we will have done a good deed and repaid a man who put himself at risk on our behalf."

"And if he is a spy?" Sasami asked with a look of a more complete understanding of the situation.

"Then we will simply have to ask Miss Washu to alter his memory a bit so that who we are remains a secret from the rest of the world." Ayeka said before quickly adding, "I assure you it will be nothing harmful Sasami. He'll just go back to his superiors and say that all the explosions were just the result of recently discovered natural gas pockets igniting or something."

"Okay but you're the one who has to explain everything to Tenchi and the others." Sasami said making it clear she wanted no part of that potential time bomb.

With that they left the hospital and got on the first bus that would take them back to the Masaki shrine.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

_**London, England, New Slayer and Watcher's Council, Office of Rupert Giles**_

"Mr. Giles? Mr. Harris is on line three for you." Came the voice of his secretary from the intercom speaker.

"Thank you Janice." Giles replied while wondering what mess his surrogate son had gotten himself into this time.

It wasn't that he thought Xander was a burden or anything but rather that the lad had an improbable tendency to get himself into trouble that the Watcher had ever seen. Ever since the boy had first stumbled into the secret life of the Slayer he had an almost insane tendency to find trouble. True it had gotten somewhat better since the town of Sunnydale had collapsed at the conclusion of their battle with the First Evil. In fact he had exhibited an extraordinary ability to locate Slayers faster than many of the more seasoned Watchers from the previous incarnation of the Council. He still got into trouble but it was usually due to his heroic impulses rather than simply being a magnet for demonic and supernatural trouble. Hopefully the reason for his calling was simply to inform them of his arrival in Osaka and not to report an **unavoidable** accident that landed him in the hospital.

Picking up the receiver and pressing the appropriate button as Willow had taught him to do he asked "Hello Xander. How is Osaka?"

"Fine G-Man but I seem to have hit a little snag so completing the assignment might take a little longer than usual." Xander replied although his voice was somewhat faint and distorted due to the long distance connection.

"How many times have I asked you not to call me that infernal nickname?" Giles asked in a way that was both annoyed yet comforted about the predictability of the question, "And what sort of snag?"

"Well it's kinda funny how it happened." Xander replied with the standard Scooby way of trying to sugar coat a response, "Y'see I had just gotten off the bus in Osaka and was on my way to check into a hotel when I noticed this hooded guy getting ready to steal this lady's purse and…"

"…And you felt compelled to intervene on her behalf." Giles said finishing the explanation as though he had heard it many times before, "How badly injured are you and from which hospital should I expect to receive the bill from?"

"Osaka Central Hospital and not too badly. Turns out the purse snatcher was some kind of demon but nothing I could put a name to right now." Xander replied once it became clear that there was no way he could phrase things that could make things better, "It had normal human skin coloured scales, bone ridges above the eyes, thin slits for eyes, sharp teeth and as I discovered in a very painful way spikes on each knuckle. I managed to kill it okay enough but according to the docs I'm gonna have to stay off my feet for awhile."

" The description seems familiar but I will have to do some research in order to discover the specifics." Giles stated as his mind already began to compile a list of books he would be looking through later, "In any case I don't believe a delay will cause too much trouble. The demons of Japan have rather strict codes of conduct governing what they can and cannot do without permission. So unless the awakened Slayer does something to anger them she should be safe enough. As for her newfound powers Willow seems to think that the young woman is around the same age as Buffy was when she was called so any problems that develop should be minimal."

"Yeah so she'll probably figure out that she has to be a little more careful with her powers after smashing the evil alarm clock in the morning." Xander said as he remembered the time he spotted a pulverized alarm clock in the waste basket by Buffy's bed one time, "Still I'll get back on the job just as soon as I can stop worrying about popping the stitches."

"Stitches? Just how were you injured? Xander—" Giles tried to ask as he was quite aware of what sort of injuries required stitches but the 'click' followed by the dial tone informed him that the young man had hung up on him.

Letting out a sigh he put the receiver back in its place and wondered whether or not he should consider sending Dawn or maybe Robin to help Xander out. He dismissed the idea though as he knew that the young man would not appreciate such an obvious sign that they didn't trust him to complete the assignment on his own. While the girls had always been a tad protective of their friend it had gotten a tad much after Caleb had plucked out his eye. In the weeks and months that followed the collapse of Sunnydale the other survivors began to treat Xander as though he were made of glass or at least needed back-up when on a mission. It had finally come to a head a year ago when he had told the entire core group of the new Council off at the top of his lungs before storming out. After that, like it or not, they reigned in their concern for him and let him go off into the world alone. Since then he proved that he could take care of himself as well as any other field Watcher could if not a bit better. It didn't mean he safe from injury from time to time but then that was the line of work they were in. The life of a Watcher or a Slayer or even one of their allies was not an easy one and a few scrapes were to be expected.

With that in mind he turned back to the work he had laid out in front of him and resumed trying to find ways to justify Buffy's weekly expenditures abroad. All the while though the description of the demon Xander had faced continued to cause the back of his mind to itch. There was something important about that demon's description, something big, but his mind refused to come up with a name for the species.

_Oh well! How dangerous could they be if they have resorted to snatching purses?_ Giles thought before shelving the topic for the time being.


	2. Introductions and Mysteries

_**Masaki Residence, That Evening, Living Room**_

"What do you think this place is Princess? Your own personal summer home?" Ryoko exclaimed once Ayeka had finished explaining what she had done.

"Of course not! I am just concerned that with all the explosions and battles we've been involved in recently we might have attracted the wrong sort of attention." Ayeka shot back at the ex-space pirate with the cyan hair.

"Are you sure that you're not overreacting a little?" Grandpa Yosho asked while looking at her speculatively, "While it might be true that this Xander fellow might be hiding something it does not necessarily mean others are aware of the unusual goings on around here."

Tenchi had to agree with that but at the same time Princess Ayeka had made a valid point about the things that had been going on around here. Between Mihoshi's less than subtle departures and arrivals along with Ryoko's lack of foresight when using her powers it was possible that they had been seen by the wrong sort of people. He knew that the world really wasn't how it looked in the movies with government or corporate spies covering up alien landings and conducting experiments on extra-terrestrials. Still as the saying goes 'every lie holds a grain of truth' and it was feasible that there were certain people with the job of monitoring unusual occurrences out there. With that in mind he decided he'd talk to little Washu later and see if she could invent something to make them all a little less noticeable to the rest of the world.

"Perhaps but we cannot take the chance that we may have been discovered. This is a protected planet and thus we are all bound by law to prevent contamination caused by our presence." Ayeka replied as though she was taking part in some kind of debate, "Also as members of the royal family of Jurai it is our responsibility to set an example for others to follow."

To this Ryoko and Mr. Masaki seemed less than enthusiastic about but the rest nodded in agreement with her position. Much like in that show from America, Star Trek, it was a rule of the peoples of the Juraian Empire not to interfere with the natural development of a primitive species. While he considered himself a part of that primitive species he could understand how things must be from Ayeka's point of view.

"Well if it's okay with you Dad I think we should let this Xander stay with us for awhile." Tenchi said supportively as he looked to his father, "After all he did risk his life to help Ayeka so giving him a place to recover is the least we can do for him."

"Well given how many people we have staying with us right now I guess one more wouldn't hurt." Mr. Masaki said giving his okay on the idea, "Besides its only going to be for a week or two so it shouldn't be to much trouble."

While Ryoko wasn't exactly happy that he had put his support behind Ayeka he could see that she wasn't going to put up much of a fight over the idea. Probably because she was trying to figure out how much fun she could have with someone new in the house. It was no secret that the former space pirate was willing to go to some pretty strange lengths to amuse herself and having someone new around would probably be tempting fate where she was concerned.

"Well if we're all agreed on this we're going to have to come up with some rules so we don't wind up giving this guy exactly what he's after." Little Washu said in a take charge tone of voice, "That means you have to try and act like a normal human Ryoko and Mihoshi is going to have to park her ship someplace other than the lake. Ryo-ohki will probably have to stay up at the shrine while he's here since I doubt we could explain her believably. Still nothing we can't manage of course."

Ryoko looked rather annoyed that she'd have to spend the next week or two without flying, ghosting through solid objects or anything she normally did on a regular basis. With a sly look on her face though it looked like she had thought up a way to spread the misery around.

"Well then I guess you won't be able to go into your lab either." Ryoko said trying and failing to sound sympathetic and reasonable, "In fact you'll probably have to get rid of the door entirely just to make sure he doesn't stumble in there by accident."

This of course put a sour 'I had not thought of that' look on Little Washu's face but she wasn't the sort to take back her words once she said them. Besides he bet that before the day was out she'd already have come up with an alternate way into her inter-dimensional laboratory besides the door under the stairs. After all while he wouldn't exactly say he believed her when she said she was 'the greatest genius in the entire universe' she was definitely smart enough to solve this problem.

"In that case Ryoko I think I should get your yearly physical out of the way before Xander arrives." Washu said as she walked over and grabbed the ex-space pirate by the ear, "After all I want to see if I can fix some of the degradation you've let happen over the years. Was it too much to hope that you'd at least **try** to stay in peak physical shape?"

"Wha-! Hey! Stop!" Ryoko said as she was forcibly dragged by the ear towards the door to Little Washu's lab, "Let go!"

Just about everyone, himself included, sighed at this knowing that Ryoko would be in an irritable mood for the rest of the next twenty-four hours after this. Ayeka though was definitely trying to hold in a chuckle at her rival's situation since despite what some might think he wasn't **completely** oblivious about what was going on between them. While a smart person might try and sneak clear of the danger zone he knew that if he didn't stay in between them to play diplomat things might get real ugly.

"Well then it is settled." Ayeka said in her normal regal way, "According to the doctor in charge of Xander at the hospital he should be discharged in two days."

"Well then we had better start getting things ready for him." Grandpa Yosho stated.

With that the group dispersed and went about making the place ready for their new guest. Any signs of advanced technology would have to be removed and some re-arranging of certain structures such as the floating hot bath dome. That would be the easy part as far as he was concerned. The hard part would be keeping everyone from slipping up when Xander was here.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

_**The Front Of Osaka Central Hospital, Two Days Later, Morning**_

_Ah it's good to be back in normal clothes!_ Xander thought as he relished the feeling of jeans and a T-shirt on him rather than that drafty hospital gown, _Though it was kind of funny seeing all those young nurses come up with 'feasible' reasons to scope out my butt._

While it was true that it was also kind of embarrassing he definitely enjoyed the fact that the ladies still considered him to be look worthy. In the months immediately following the destruction of Sunnydale the only time women he didn't know looked at him was to stare at his eye patch and give him pitying looks. Needless to say being seen as a charity case or someone pitiful did nothing for his ego and irritated him to the point where he would take it out on his friends when his self-control slipped. That had been a pretty good reason as far as he was concerned at the time to get away and try to work out his issues rather than risk hurting his friends by accident. So he had signed up for the 'find the Slayer' service and had been at it every since. So to find out that some women still found him attractive even with the eye patch definitely made him feel all manly.

Looking about he tried to find Miss Ayeka and the car she said would be waiting for him upon his discharge from the hospital. It took a few moments but eventually he spotted the woman with the purple hair and she wasn't alone. Standing next to her was Sasami and a guy who looked like he was still in high school but at the same time looked like he could pass for a university student. Curious as to who he might be he walked briskly towards the group looking as casual as possible.

"Good to see you again Miss Ayeka and thanks again for offering me a place to stay." He said once he had reached the car.

"You are quite welcome Xander." Ayeka said politely before turning to her two companions, "As you know this is my younger sister Sasami and this is Tenchi."

"Nice to meet you." Tenchi said as the two of them shook hands.

"Likewise." Xander said in return before looking back at Ayeka, "So shall we get going?"

With a nod they all entered the car and pulled out of the parking lot into traffic to begin their trip to the house he'd be staying at. It was then that he realized that he hadn't really been given any details on exactly where it was or even who he'd be sharing the place with. Deciding it would probably be a good idea to get the four-one-one sooner rather then later he decided it was Q & A time for these three.

"So who exactly lives with you guys?" he asked in a perfectly conversational tone of voice, "Anybody interesting?"

He had wanted to ask if there was anyone he should watch out for but that would have sounded pretty rude and might have gotten them angry with him so he substituted 'interesting' in since it sounded more neutral.

"Well aside from Tenchi there is his father and grandfather. Then there is Mihoshi who works for a private security firm." Ayeka replied obviously having anticipated this question, "Then there is Dr. Washu who is that doctor I told you about the last time we spoke. Lastly there is that scoundrel Ryoko who I'd advise you to be careful around. She was involved in some rather shady dealings until recently."

He could tell with that last person that Ayeka just might be a little biased so he'd have to take anything the regal young woman said about Ryoko with the understanding it might not be completely true.

"Ayeka's just kidding Xander. Ryoko is actually not that bad." Tenchi said apparently trying to give a more honest opinion of the woman, "The only thing you might want to keep an eye out for where Ryoko is concerned is that she tends to get bored every once and awhile so don't take it personally if she decides to mess with you a little."

Xander only raised an eyebrow at that as he wondered what the guy meant exactly when he said Ryoko might decide to 'mess with him' a little. After all those three words could be interpreted any one of a number of ways from mind games to chasing him around the property with a battle axe and near misses. Hopefully she'd be more like him when it came to boredom and just resort to pranks or annoying conversation to amuse herself with in order to pass the time.

"So Xander were there any specific instructions the doctor gave you to help in your recovery?" Ayeka asked from the front passenger seat.

"Well no lifting anything heavier than a dinner plate of course or anything else that might put a strain on my stomach." He replied as he went over what the doctor had told him, "Plenty of rest which seems to be an automatic thing for recovery of any type and taking my medicine twice a day. Aside from that it'll be business as usual."

"Sounds like a standard two week vacation to me." Tenchi said from the driver's seat.

"Yeah except if I have too much fun I'll wind up popping my stitches and that'll mean going back to the hospital." Xander said with a mix of joy at the time off and disappointment at the boredom of essentially just sitting around doing nothing.

"Don't worry. We'll make sure your bored enough that that won't happen." Sasami said with a smirk on her face.

This earned the blue haired girl a sidelong look of surprise from both Tenchi and Ayeka, as if it was unusual for the young teen to talk like that, but apparently they chose to let it slide until later. If this was an indication of how things went in the house where he'd be staying he was in for a mix of relaxation and surprise that would be definitely memorable.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

_**An Abandoned Old Style Japanese Mansion, Same Time**_

"Have you completed your investigation in Kr'Ton's death?" boomed a powerful voice from the raised dais at the back of the audience chamber.

"Indeed my Lord. It appears that the young one's… impulsive tendencies… caused him to attempt a robbery in broad daylight." Replied the cloaked and armoured figure kneeling before the dais, "He was intercepted and killed by a young human male believed to be an agent of the newly restored Watcher's Council."

This caused the being on the dais to growl in anger at the possibility that his enemies might have received advance warning of his army's presence. For years he and his people had managed to remain beneath the notice of all others in preparation for the action that was to take place in just a week and a half. If they succeeded in their plans the world would belong to them and all their foes would know suffering unheard of since the time of the Old Ones. If there existed a chance that one of their enemies might have gained advance knowledge of their movements then action would have to be taken.

"Dispatch a surveillance team to where this human male is located." Mr. Powerful Voice ordered with authority, "They are ordered to monitor his actions for signs that we have been discovered and to take all necessary precautions to conceal their presence there."

"As you have said, so shall it be done." Said the kneeling figure and in a flash of movement he vanished as though he had never been there in the first place.

The being on the dais remained, contemplating the new twist that had been introduced into his carefully constructed timeline, never forgetting the glory that awaited him upon his victory. It was one of the most ambitious plans ever conceived by demonkind and most would consider him mad for even attempting it. In all the centuries that had passed since the temple had been buried none had dared risk awakening that which lay within for fear of its power destroying them all. He however would succeed where the others before him had failed. Using a combination of modern human science and the most potent of arcane powers he would claim the temple's treasure for his own and lead his people to glorious victory.

_Still it will be at least a week before the entrance to the temple has been excavated and at least three days to safely reach the central chamber._ He thought as he considered the potential damage early discovery could cause, _If there is a threat to the plan in that human male then it must be determined and dealt with immediately._

He would succeed and pity the pathetic fools who dared to stand in his way.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

_**The Masaki Home, Near the Masaki Shrine, One Hour Later**_

"Whoa! Big house." Xander said in amazement as he took in the size of the home he'd be living in.

It wasn't exactly mansion size but at the same time it was most definitely not your typical family home. With two levels that he could perceive plus a deck that stretched right into the lake it looked like one of those luxury cottages he had seen on TV. Apparently Ayeka hadn't been kidding when he woke up in the hospital and said that there'd be no problem with him staying here for a time. This place looked like it could be converted into a branch of the new Slayer and Watcher's Council with minimal effort. All in all it was better than he had expected when they had pulled out of the hospital parking lot.

"Glad you like it. We've had to do some remodelling and expanding since it was moved here but it's still pretty much the same as it's always been." Tenchi said as he carried Xander's bag down the white walkway.

"Moved? You mean this place used to be somewhere else?" Xander asked as he tried to figure out how they got such a big house out here on those narrow roads.

"Ah, yeah, my Dad's an architect so he just called in an old favour from a friend to have it moved here." Tenchi replied as he took a moment to consider his response, "My grandfather's the caretaker of the Masaki shrine so we wanted to be closer to him to help with the workload."

_Makes sense. _Xander thought as he considered the connections a good architect probably had and the need to be near to an elderly family member was normal.

As they approached the sliding doors that led into the living room a small welcoming party trotted out to greet them. The first was a blonde woman with bronze tanned skin and an athletic figure that made it clear she either exercised regularly or was just incapable of gaining any weight. She also had a look in her eyes that reminded him of Anya in that there was good chance that she rarely took the time to think things through before speaking her mind. He had a feeling he'd have to be pretty patient with her and try not to let anything she said bother him.

Next to appear was a tall man that looked like he was a year or two away from being in his late fifties to being in his early sixties. Dressed in traditional clothes Xander knew this had to be Tenchi's grandfather and the caretaker of the Masaki shrine. He looked to be in pretty good health and that made him wonder if he was in error in assuming that the older man's health was in trouble. There was also an air of wisdom about him that made the former Zeppo think he was actually older than he appeared.

After the grandfather came a tall woman with cyan hair and a loose blue dress with long sleeves. She had a look on her face that said she was here to greet him more because she had been told to rather than actually wanting to be here. When she caught sight of him though he could see the light of interest and speculation in her eyes that made him think that he might be able to get her to warm up to him eventually. Given the hostile glare she gave Ayeka for a moment he knew she could only be Ryoko.

The last person for him to look at was something of an oddity because she looked to be about the same age as Sasami and was certainly the right height for a kid. With pink spiky hair and a weird outfit that looked like a cross between a business suit and a Halloween outfit she almost looked like a young teenager exploring her newfound status. Until he looked her in the eyes though because once he did that all the other evidence concerning her discernable age was meaningless. What he saw in those green eyes was not the innocence of youth or the mischief-loving twinkle of a teenager but something much different but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what. Given the process of elimination and the young teen's size he decided she must be Washu but that seemed odd considering Ayeka had called her a doctor.

_I guess she's a midget or something._ He thought as he finally reached the welcoming committee, _She and Buffy would probably get along great._

"Xander I'd like you to meet Mihoshi, my grandfather Katsuhito, Ryoko and Dr. Washu." Tenchi said making the introductions, "Guys this is Xander."

"Pleased to meet you." Xander said doing his best to do a passable Japanese bow.

"No need to be so formal around us Xander." Katsuhito said informally, "We keep things pretty laid back here and besides I doubt bowing all the time would be good for your injuries."

"True." Xander said as there was a bit of discomfort and pain in bowing at the moment.

"Well let's get you set up in the guest room and then I'll show you around the place." Tenchi said as he indicated Xander should follow him into the house.

"Sounds good to me." Xander said and with one final hello nod to the welcoming committee he followed Tenchi inside.

Once the two guys were out of sight those still outside began to chat about the newcomer and their respective first impressions about him. However one of them was unusually silent and seemed to be quite distracted for some reason. When the others took notice of this though she just brushed them off by saying 'she was just thinking' and that was enough to placate the others. If they only knew what was really going on inside her head.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&


	3. A New Day and a New Slayer

Note: Sorry for the long wait for the new chapter but it took this long for the muse for this fanfic to climb Mount Writer's Block and fight the Great White Nothing. It took re-watching all the Tenchi anime shows that I have saved on my computer to get it going again. I know this is a little short compared to some of my other fanfics but I haven't done any real planning for this fanfic beyond the basics so I'm just writing what seems good at the time and then stopping myself when working on the fanfic becomes more of a chore than a pleasure.

Still I think this chapter turned out alright all the same. What do you think?

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

One Week Later, Masaki Home, Mid-Morning 

_Well it's official._ Xander thought as he tried as best he could to stay out of the way of Ayeka vs Ryoko round fifty-five, _I'm living in a nuthouse and the inmates are running the asylum. _

It hadn't been too bad starting out and he actually started making friends with the rest of the residents pretty quickly. Ryoka was every bit the trickster he'd been warned about and definitely had a tendency to cause mischief when bored. She also kinda had personality traits similar to Faith in that no subject was taboo and she really enjoyed getting a rise out of the prim and proper types like Ayeka. Miss Ayeka was definitely from one of those upper class families that demanded that proper etiquette and protocol be followed. Still she was a pretty nice person despite that and much like her little sister Sasami she was interested in hearing about his travels. He didn't tell them everything and definitely edited what he did divulge so that he wouldn't sound like a complete head case or get the G-man angry with him over 'security'. When neither Ryoko nor Ayeka or Sasami were around there was always either Mihoshi or one of the elder Masaki guys to chat with. The elder Masaki's were pretty much what he'd come to expect from people born back in the stone age but Mihoshi was like a cross between Anya and one of Cordy's Cordettes from high school. Namely that she was blunt spoken and not the sharpest knife in the drawer for certain in that she acted like an airhead sometimes. Still she had a good heart and that was good enough to get him to ignore some of her more awkward questions and peculiar behaviours.

However the one person living in the place that was giving him a serious case of the wiggins was the newbie teen genius Washu who apparently was one of those pro-prodicy? Prodigy… sorta people that were really smart real early on in their lives. Learning came easy to them and had them consuming books and computer files like crazy in an effort to find something that was actually **HARD** for them to learn. That was because aside from being a skilled doctor she apparently was also a scientific genius and unfortunately made him sit through a few 'lecutres' about her latest theories and ideas. Unfortunately he didn't understand even a tenth of it so all he could do was nod and say 'really?' every so often to make it look like he understood. There was also something odd about the way she behaved around him. She'd go off on these weird tangents about reincarnation and the indestructibility of the soul then get mad for some reason when he gave his opinion on the topic. It was almost like she was expecting to say something completely different and got pissed when her predictions didn't pan out. It was really weird and occasionally she'd run their odd looking instruments over him that she swore were the latest in medical technology but to him they looked like something straight out of a Sci-Fi movie. When he said something to this effect she made some comment about his intelligence and middle class income to shut him up before finishing what she was doing and walking off in a huff.

_It's like she thinks we met someplace before. _He thought as he crept as best he could out of the living room before objects started flying this way and that, _But that's crazy since I think I'd remember a four foot something pink haired teenager._

"At it again?" Sasami asked from where she was cooking lunch atop her stool.

"Yep! You guys must go through a fortune in furniture." He said as the sounds of crashing and breaking objects flitted through the air.

"Well we did at first but fortunately Mr. Masaki knows some people who were willing to do repairs with no questions asked." Sasami said as she shook her head in disappointment at her older sister's antics, "As for the things that can't be repaired we just get what we can from used furniture stores and garage sales. Some of the things we get might be a bit tacky but we can't exactly be picky with only the money Mr. Masaki and Grandfather Masaki earn."

"Guess not. So you need any help with that?" he asked as he looked at the pots and bowls arrayed out on the counter.

"No it's almost ready but could you go upstairs and get Mihoshi and Washu for me and tell them its time for lunch?" she asked before sprinkling some herb or spice into a pot.

"Sure. No problem." He replied as he turned his head in the direction of the living room and the still ongoing battle, "But if you don't hear from me in an hour be sure to send out a rescue party."

Sasami just laughed at this and with that he re-entered the living room trying to slink up the stairs before either Ayeka or Ryoko could involve him in whatever they were fighting over this time. It had happened twice before and each time he found himself wishing he was facing that army of Turokhan vampires beneath Sunnydale High rather than answer their questions. As he successfully climbed up two steps without attracting their attention he immediately scampered up the stairs as quickly as he could as he was determined to get out of range as quickly as he could. Turning around the corner he immediately sagged against the wall for support as he tried to catch his breath a bit and settle his nerves. His recovery from that demon's punch was a little over two thirds of the way done but the lack of activity along with the damage to his abdominal muscles made it difficult to do anything stressful. It also meant though that he was going to have to do some serious exercising after he was cleared for it in order to get back into tip top shape. He might not be involved in the main fighting anymore, due to the lack of depth perception, but he still needed to be in shape in order to reach the more remotely located newbie Slayers. That one he'd been asked to locate in Tibet hadn't been easy and had left him crossing out that location in any future travel plans.

Deciding it would be best to get Mihoshi first he knocked assertively on her door before saying "Mihoshi! It's time for lunch!"

"Huh? What-?" came a mumbled reply from within but before anything else could be said there was a loud **CRASH** from inside the room, "AAAHHHH!"

Like lightning his good guy nature and White Knight complex conspired against his common sense causing him to throw the door open in order to both find out what had happened and help Mihoshi out if she needed it. This proved to be a mistake, sent by Mr. Murphy himself no doubt, because no sooner did he take the scene before him in then he saw Mihoshi sprawled on the floor dressed only in a halter top and thong panties. A brain freeze followed with him taking in her amazing body while at the same time trying to be the decent fellow he was and look someplace else. Unfortunately it took about six seconds for his will power to force his eyes elsewhere so there was a slight chance that the female security guard caught him ogling her. Trying to look casual, and most likely failing, he watched as she rubbed her head in order to soothe the pain that was no doubt caused by a falling object.

"U-um… are you okay Mihoshi?" he asked while keeping a firm grip on where his eyes were directed.

"Yeah but owwie! Who put that bookshelf there?" she asked rhetorically as she got to her feet making it that much more difficult for him to avoid viewing her exceptional figure.

"Uh… I-I… d-don't know but I just came to tell you that lunch will be ready soon. So g-get dressed and c-come on down okay?" he said as bad luck hit again and the security guard in front of him took notice of his unusual behavior.

"Is something wrong Xander? You sound kind of funny and your face is rather red." She asked as she tried to get a better look at his face and that only made it more difficult for him to avoid gawking at her body again, "Maybe you should have Washu take a look at you."

"Ah… y-yeah! I'll do that right now." He said as he began backing up towards the door, "I have to tell her about lunch as well s-so I'll see you later!"

Turning around and intent on getting out of Mihoshi's room as quickly as he could he failed to notice that he had miscalculated his position in relation to the door and wound up slamming himself into the door frame rather than going out the door. One hand clutching his face in pain he adjusted his escape vector and left the room with the blonde woman behind him looking at where he had been in complete confusion.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Thirty Minutes Later, Dining Room Table 

"So have you had any luck on your end of the search Washu?" Xander asked the height challenged genius.

"Actually I've managed to narrow down the list of possible candidates by quite a bit thanks to the criteria you managed to give me the other day." She replied after swallowing her last bite of food, "Of all the potential candidates only five showed an unexpected increase in replaced furniture, appliances and food purchases. We'll still probably have to meet with each of them face to face before we can say for certain if we've found who you're looking for Xander."

"Well I think that'll be doable." He said as he wiped his face with his napkin before setting it down on the empty plate, "After all while I'm not one hundred percent yet I should be able to at least get through a couple of meetings easy enough."

"In that case we'll leave as soon as you're ready." Ayeka said as she got up from her spot at the table with her plate.

"We?" he asked with some puzzlement.

"Well you don't really think that after so many fascinating stories about your job that I would pass up a chance to view it firsthand do you?" she asked as if the very idea was absurd.

"I guess not." He said resigning himself to the fact that the regal woman would be coming along with him and Washu.

It had all started so innocently about four days after he arrived at the Masaki home when he had been explaining how he'd go about looking for the 'mythical warrior woman' he'd been sent to Osaka to find. Apparently though it might seem routine for him to the rest of the people in the house it sounded like a lot of work so both Washu and Ayeka had volunteered to get the ball rolling for him. Washu would surf the net and look for any mention of a young woman exhibiting Slayer level physical abilities while Ayeka would make some polite inquiries at local furniture or appliance stores for unusual repair requests. After all a newbie Slayer wouldn't be used to the sudden increase in her strength, speed or agility level so accidents were almost a certainty. Add to that the rise in food consumption and they all had something to work with as well as a specific area to search. True that area was Osaka and that was a lot of ground to cover but when you eliminated the areas where the young Slayer, a teenage girl, was unlikely to go and then factored in the daily requirements of someone newly Called a lot of the city was crossed out. It was a bit of a surprise considering how many people likely live in the areas of Osaka that hadn't been eliminated that Washu had been able to reduce the number of possibilities to five. Then again she was that prodigy thing so he supposed that this was at best a warm up exercise for her compared to whatever else she did.

"Good. How about we leave in an hour?" Ayeka asked with a smile showing she was actually looking forward to the trip.

"Sounds like a plan to me. It'll give me time to put together a few things we'll need." He replied as he mentally began to argue with himself over whether to bring a real knife to throw at her head or just a wooden one.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Shimano Uchi, Osaka, 4:15p.m 

_Not exactly what I was expecting when I tried to picture where we'd find Hino Masumi._ He thought to himself as he looked up at what appeared to be an apartment complex a step above a roach motel, _But then again its not like those idiot 'Powers That Be' really care what kind of life one of their Slayers lives so long as they do their **duty**._

Sure he knew that it was technically him and the gang that awakened all the Slayers worldwide in order to beat the first and shut down the Sunnydale Hellmouth but it was the PTBs that selected which girls on the planet had the potential to become Slayers. Given that most Slayers before Buffy didn't last much longer than two to three years that meant that the world had gone through roughly sixteen Slayers in the past fifty years. So while he'd admit that the gang had upset 'the balance' a little by calling all the Slayers in one go he liked to think that with so many allies and fellow Slayers helping out the burden of those newly Called would be easier to bear. After all with so many spread out over the entire world instead of having one Slayer deal with an impending apocalypse three or four could be called in. Add to that the fact that the Scoobies were making certain that the new Council actually **cared** about each Slayer rather than treat them like expendable commodities like Travers had done and he believed benefits of what they'd done outweighed the cons.

"So what room is she in?" he asked Washu who was idly looking around the area.

"According to the file I managed to find on her she's in apartment thirteen B and lives with her single mother and two younger sisters." Washu replied after taking a brief look at her digital notebook.

"What now Xander?" Ayeka asked looking rather reluctant to enter the less than spotless clean apartment building.

"Well we knock and introduce ourselves then I ask her a few specific questions." He replied as he began to walk towards the front entrance of the building, "If she answers them correctly then the real interview can begin but if she answers incorrectly then we make up some plausible excuse for leaving and get out of there."

"Why would we need to make up an excuse? Couldn't we just admit that we were mistaken and leave?" Ayeka asked with a little confusion.

"Well for one thing it's a little out of the ordinary for someone to ask someone's teenage daughter if she recently smashed her alarm clock to pieces or kicked the butt of someone a full foot taller than her." He replied as he tried to tell the truth without making Ayeka or Washu suspicious, "Plus the idea of someone travelling the world looking for myths or legends that might actually be true is a little suspicious."

"I suppose from the point of view of the people living here it would seem rather odd." Ayeka said pretty much accepting of Xander's explanation but still having some uncertainty.

"Well let's get going okay?" Washu asked rhetorically with some impatience, "I left an experiment running and I have to get back before seven in the evening or it'll all go to waste."

"Sure thing Washu." Xander said not wanting to make a genius angry because of all the no doubt inventive ways the pink haired girl could come up with for payback.

"How many times do I have to tell you Xander" Washu said with annoyance as she spun around to face him, "Call me **little Washu**!"

"Sorry W-… I mean **little Washu**." He said catching himself before he made the same mistake twice regarding her preferred name.

_Man! Usually people her age and height hate it when people call them little or small but Washu practically insists on it._ He thought as they passed through the doors and began to climb the stairs to the second floor, _Maybe she has that Peter Pan syndrome thing I heard of on TV._

Reaching the second floor it didn't take long for them to reach apartment thirteen B but Xander could tell that this place was definitely the bottom of the barrel for people looking for a place to call home. While the place would pass health and safety regulations it was also clear that the people that lived here had to make anything they had last as long as possible since they probably couldn't afford to buy new stuff very often. Neither could the landlord judging from how worn down the place looked.

Knocking three times on the door he waited with Washu and Ayeka standing behind him for someone to answer. He didn't have long to wait since less than a minute later the door opened but what he saw was definitely unexpected and caused him to flash back to his walking in on Mihoshi earlier in the day. Standing there in front of him, looking to be about the same age as Buffy had been when he first met her, was a beautiful Japanese teenager. However what had him almost freezing up was the fact that she was wearing a 'too short to be legal' mini-skirt and a tank top that hugged **every** curve.

"What're you staring at gaijin?" she asked as her expression went from neutral confusion to annoyed anger, "And who the hell are ya?"

"H-Hino Masumi I presume?" he asked as he tried to regain composure and not dwell on that which would only get him slapped or in some other kind of trouble.

"Yeah. What's it to you?" she asked looking at him more and more like he was some kind of pervert or at least someone that was looking down on her.

"Well first let me ask you a question." He said latching onto the spiel he used on every newbie Slayer he found, "Having you been sleeping well lately? Having any bizarre dreams involving demons or young women like yourself fighting?"

It took only the slight hesitation in her response for him to know they'd found the person they were looking for but now the hard part began. Now they had to explain what was happening to her without sounding like liars or complete nutcases looking to recruit her into some cult. After all talk of demons, monsters and chosen young warrior women did sound like the sort of schtick you'd expect some nut job cult leader to use to draw in the fresh recruits. Also in cases like this, where the newly Called Slayer lived in less than pleasant surroundings, they tended to be mistrustful of people spinning a fairytale like future for them.

"So what if I am? Living in a dump like this and having to tolerate perverts like you would be enough to give any girl nightmares." She said unwilling to admit that there was anything special about him guessing write about her dreams.

"Yeah but I doubt those nightmares involve guys with wrinkly foreheads and glowing yellow eyes." He said to counter her dismissal of the truth, "Besides living conditions wouldn't explain why there's been a sudden spike in your food bill or why you've had to replace some furniture in the last few weeks."

Now this definitely floored her by the look of shock and surprise on her face but unfortunately the Harris luck chose this time to retake some ground from the abnormal good luck he'd been having lately. Shock and surprise vanished from Masumi's face to be replaced by the kind of anger that had most sane demons running for their lives and all men looking for the nearest escape route. Fortunately since it hadn't had much of a chance to surface lately the Harris luck was a little out of shape and so good luck managed to turn the tables in the form of Ayeka.

"I assure you miss Hino that there is nothing underhanded about Xander's intentions." She said in a perfectly regal and honest manner one couldn't help but believe, "He's on assignment looking into the possible truths of certain myths and legends around the world. Currently he's looking into the numerous tales of warrior women that exhibit skills and abilities far above what could be considered normal. Little Washu and I have been helping him look for women your age that match his description of these warrior women and your name was at the top of the list."

This defused Masumi's anger a bit but she still didn't look like she was going to believe Ayeka's words completely. He was about to say more when the stomping of footsteps could be heard from inside the apartment and they were heading their way. Looking over the young woman's shoulder he quickly spotted what he could best describe as a female version of Tony Harris shudder. Overweight and wearing a shirt-sweatpants combo that only made him pray to whatever God or Goddess that was listening that this forty plus woman never **ever** made the attempt to look sexy.

"What's taking so long you **tramp**!" the older woman bellowed like a particularly fat sow, "Jiraya's expecting you over at the Rabbit Hole and you better do your job with the customers or else you'll be flashing your goods on the street!"

"Now see here you—" Ayeka began to say angrily as it was clear she didn't like the tone the woman was using on her daughter or what was being said for that matter.

"Shut up you high class hussy!" the mother of Masumi said before setting her eyes on Xander, "You need to keep yer bitches in line gaijin!"

"W-w-w-why **YOU**!" Ayeka growled looking fit to charge the slob of a woman head on and rip her to shreds.

Before the purple haired woman could do anything though Masumi took action and quickly draped herself over him like he was a stripping pole. This had the effect of stopping Ayeka in her tracks, getting Washu to go wide eyed in surprise and the deadbeat of a mother to freeze up big time.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier mom but Mr. Jiraya said he was sending over a special client today and here he is." Masumi said sounding more like a dutiful daughter and less like the girl with an attitude as she had after first setting eyes on the former Zeppo, "Isn't that right Mr. Big-Strong-wealthy-Gaijin?"

The way she was acting was pretty much what one would expect of a call girl coming onto her client but one look in Masumi's eyes told him it was an all an act to get her mother off her back. Well, that and the fact that she had a strong Slayer level grip on his arm with the threat of squeezing harder clearly present.

"Sure. So why don't we get going." He said trying to support the big fat lie the young Slayer had tossed out, "I want to make sure to get my money's worth."

This seemed to satisfy the slob and without so much as a goodbye to her daughter she turned around and stomped her way back to where ever she had been prior to getting up to rant at her daughter. Getting off him Masumi quickly grabbed her purse from a nearby counter and stepped out into the hallway with him, Ayeka and Washu. Closing the door her face lost all traces of the 'sexy gal' look she'd used to fool her mother and returned to the 'tough girl from the 'hood' way of behaving. Taking a page from her mother's book she didn't say a word as she began to walk towards the stairs at a brisk walk.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Washu asked finally deciding to put in her two cents on the entire scene.

Turning Masumi gave them a snarky look before she replied, "Look I appreciate you playing along to fool the old hag but I don't have time to listen to some crazy gaijin and his two assistants talk crazy talk. Unlike **some people** I actually have to work for a living!"

He could tell that this little 'Slayers 101' session was going downhill fast and given the attitude Masumi seemed to be sporting he doubted words would be enough to prove to her that something was now different about her life. That left the method that Buffy had told him her first Watcher Merrick had used to convince her that something of the weird was going on. Reaching into his jacket he pulled out the knife he'd brought with him (wooden of course since he didn't want to risk being arrested for murder) and flipped it so that he was holding it by the tip of the blade.

"Well then I guess there's only one thing to say then." He said and with a flick of his arm he threw the wooden knife, "Hey Masumi! CATCH!"

Masumi turned just like he had hoped and then his proof materialized for him because just as the wooden tip of the knife was about to strike the teenager's forehead her hand shot up as though it had a life of its own and stopped it in its tracks. At that point he didn't know who was more surprised at what happened: Ayeka who was looking at Masumi like she'd caught a bullet barehanded, Washu who definitely had that 'new project' look he'd seen on Willow's face a couple of times or Masumi herself whose eyes never left the wooden knife she'd somehow caught. For him though it was exactly what he'd expected so he knew there was a smile of triumph on his face since he was certain he had the newbie Slayer right where he wanted her as far as getting her to accept the truth was concerned.

"So you ready to listen, I mean **really listen**, to what I have to say Masumi." He asked her in a friendly manner.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&


End file.
